hey guys

[Chubbyb]

Hey guys i recently bought my 1st dragon on Saturday at Repticon her name is Nyla My girlfriend came up with it i have no idea from where.right now i have her in a 10 gal tank for now.. But my question is will this 40 gal tank be good for her

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[Mungi's Buddha]

Beautiful little dragon and congratulations on your new addition
As far as the tank in your picture goes I wouldnt recommend it because of the height....beardies are terrestrial creatures and dont require the height and will do much better in an enclosure that has more floor space as opposed to height.
A 40 gallon breeder tank is the recommended and preferred one to use...these are usually only 18 inches tall but are wider...and the preferred size would be one that is 48 wide by 24 deep by 18 tall...you can find the appropriate tanks available at most pet stores that sell reptile supplies...Zilla for example sells a CritterCage in this size and if your local store doesnt have one in stock they should be able to order one for you.
One problem you will have with the one in your picture is being able to.maintain proper temps and.proper temp gradients that your dragon requires...besides when your beardie becomes an adult he will not have enough room to turn around comfortably.
You mentioned that you have the new baby in a 10 galon aquarium...I highly recommend you get him out of that tank as quickly as possible...minimum size tank for a baby dragon is a 20 gallon tank and preferabbly a 20 long which again is more wide than.tall and he will outgrown that quicker than you can think.
In a 10 gallon tank there is absolutely no way to set and maintain the proper temperatures and gradient that your dragon has to have to grow and thrive..without that you will only make the baby suffer and set yourself up with problems.
Please get him in the right type of enclosure as quickly as possible...and although it might look way to large for him right now there is no reason that you cant go ahead and put him in the 40 gallon breeder from the start...that will save you some money.
Concentrate more on getting his temps and gradients correct and his diet correct and always never hesitate to ask if you are doing things right...that is the awesome thing about this particular forum..all the answer are here for you along with a host of passionate dragon caretakers that are ready and eager to help you provide the very best care for your dragon which will translate into a long and great adventure for both you and your dragon
Enjoy your day!

"That's just my opinion..I could be wrong...I was ONCE." Comedian/Social Commentarian Dennis Miller

 

[Sunkiss]

I agree with Mungi.
Btw, cute little baby beardie.

 

[Chris Baez Jr.]

Beautiful baby Dragon, congrats. The best of luck with him/her.

 

[Dizzy]

Very cute. Enjoy!

 

[Chubbyb]

I just came back from running around I just bought her a 40 gallon thank Petco is having a special Dollar a gallon thank god lol and i also bought her a UVB zilla 50uvb is that good enough??

 

[Germ]

If you are intending on using the Zilla Desert 50 you must be sure that your BD can get close to the UVB bulb & if you are using the slimline fixture, you must remove the Plastic\Acrylic cover that blocks a high percentage of the UVB. A 10.0 (10%) UVB would have been the better choice.

 

[Chubbyb]

can you link me too a better light source for me please.

 

[Germ]

The Repti-Sun 10.0 Tube has the better reviews. Repti-Glo 10.0 Tube works quite well also. You can just use an under the cabinet fixture found at a hardware store.

 

[Chubbyb]

thank you, So can I just take out the Zilla light and pop this one in?

 

[Germ]

Probably not, if I'm not mistaken most of the Zilla fixtures use a T5 bulb, these are T8s

 

[Chubbyb]

this is the one i bought http://www.petco.com/product/14564/Zilla-Slimline-Desert-50-UVB-T8-Fluorescent-Fixture.aspx

 

[Germ]

The Repti-Glo or Repti-Sun 10.0 T8 (1") bulb will fit in that fixture.

Be sure to remove the plastic cover regardless of the Bulb used.

 

[Germ]

My query to Zilla on the subject of the plastic cover ...

I was wondering if the acrylic cover on the slimline UVB fixtures is designed to let UVB pass though or whether it must be removed because UVB will not pass through a solid filter such as glass or regular clear plastic. Your prompt response is appreciated. Germ

Their answer ...

It all depends on the generation of Slimline fixture. We used to put a sticker on the lens that said to remove the lens for full use of UVB as the lenses blocked out a fair amount of UVB radiation. The newest ones we have out do not have this sticker on them. They have a starter fuse set into a cone shaped depression on the underside of the fixture. The lens uses a special type of plastic that only blocks 10% of the UVB rays. If you need 100% then you can remove the lens.

Regards,


Rob Moneyhan
Central Aquatics Tech Lead
Kent Marine, Coralife, Aqueon, Oceanic, Zilla
Phone# 888-255-4527 or 414-423-8544
Fax# 800-398-0396 or 414-421-9682
Email: [email protected]

 

[Josh]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Im not a big Zilla fan at all myself...their Critter Cages are reasonabke and convenient and I do like the sliding locking screen tops although I do wish they would use a coarser screen instead of the fine mesh screens they do. Other than that I try and steer clear of their products. Really do hate the "Kits" thatbthey offer because besides the tank and maybe the dome fixtures that come with them the rest can be tossed...it gives folks the wrong stuff and a false sense of security in thinking they are fixing their critter up right when in reality they are being sold a kit of junk..guess maybe I am old school but I have never intentionally steered anyone in the wrong direction in either my personal life or business life and dont like it when anyone "pees on my boots and tries to tell me it's raining".
That florescent light fixture of theirs that Germ talked about is another good example of misleading info and even worse because that little plastic shield over the uv tube renders the buld totally useless...gotta wonder about a company that even after the defect is brought to their attention and eventhough if they would just remove that piece of plastic which would cost them less in materials to manufacture the fixture and make the thing do what it is reported to do that they would still keep right on producing them and selling them as they are and aparently just not care.
whew...went on a rant..sorry folks..been a rough afternoon and evening...tomorow is a new day and will be better..I wont accept less..lol
Night!

 

[Chubbyb]

but will it be good enough to last about two weeks until payday? so i can replace the tube for a repti glo or something else